Music-roll-controlling apparatus.



F. 0. WHITE.

MUSIC ROLL CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1 7 1917.

Patented Aug. 7 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK C. WHITE, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB. TO THE WILCOX & WHITE COMPANY, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

MUSIC-ROLIz-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

Application filed April 17, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. WHITE, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Meriden, Connecticut,have invented a new and useful Music-Roll-Controlling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for automatically centering a traveling note sheet relatively to the tracker board of a music playing instrument so that the music sheet will traverse said tracker board with accuracy.

Inasmuch as music rolls as used in player pianos and like instruments are not always of uniform width, it is important to provide means by which such sheets may be properly centralized on the tracker, and it is the object of my invention to provide simple and effective means to automatically effect this result. I am aware that the broad idea is not altogether new, but that it has been common to provide devices which engage the edge of the paper sheet for controlling its position. This, however, is open to many ob- ]ections, since any pressure against the edge of the sheet tends to buckle, roughen or wear the same, and this is particularly true if the sheet is provided with marginal perforations close to the edge. It is, therefore, my object to provide a means by which this positioning of the sheet may be automatically effected without touching the edge of the paper sheet, or in any way wearing or rou'ghening the same.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a diagrammatic view conventionally illustrating my invention and showing the music roll in its uncentralized position, the displacement being relatively exaggerated for the purposes of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the music roll centralized, as in operation.

7 1 represents a tracker board. The dot and dash line 2-2 indicates the center line of the tracker board. 3 represents a note sheet carried by a spool or roll, the heads of which are indicated at M 5 represents the so-called receiving spool upon which the note sheet is wound during the playing ofa composition, any suitable power means being provided to rotate the spool 5. For rewinding, any suit- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 7, 1917. Serial No. 162,661.

able power means is provided to rotate the music roll in the rewinding direction. The music roll 4 is supported at the left hand end by a spring projected stud or post 6 and the same is supported at the right hand end by a shaft 7 that revolves with relative freedom when the music is being played and that is positively revolved on the rewinding operation. Any suitable clutch engagement may be provided between the end of the shaft 7 and the music roll, so that the music roll and shaft 7 will rotate together. All of these parts thus far described are too well known for detailed illustration or description. The shaft 7 is so mounted that it may be moved longitudinally, but the idle position of said shaft 7 when the music roll is in place, is at the extreme right, being forced into that position by the spring 8 which operates the stud 6. When the note sheet is inserted it follows that it will initially assume the position in which its center line will be at the right of the center line 2-2, as indicated by the dotted lines 9-9, Fig. 1. To play properly, it is essential that the music sheet 3 will be shifted to the left so that the line 9-9 will register with the line 2-2. I therefore provide means for shifting the relative position of the music sheet support and the tracker so as to eflect this alinement or centralizing of the sheet on the tracker, and this means in one preferred form I will now proceed to describe.

10 conventionally represents an exhaust chamber in which a partial vacuum is effected as soon as the power is put on to start the instrument. 11 is a collapsible pneumatic which is normally distended by any suitable spring. As soon as the exhaust commences this pneumatic 11 will start to close. The pneumatic 11 is suitably connected with the shaft 7 so that when the pneumatic collapses, the shaft 7 will move to the left so as to bring the center line 9-9 of the note sheet into register with the center line 2-2 of the tracker. In the particular form shown, this movement is efiected throughthe medium of a link 12, a lever 13, a sliding bracket 14 and a rod 15, the end of which is loosely connected with the outer end of the shaft 7 so that the latter may rotate. When the note sheet has been shifted so as to bring its center line 99 into registration with the center line 22 of the tracker, I provide means to check further movement, whereby the note sheet will be held in said centralized position. This means is entirely free of the note sheet and comprises the following parts. 16 is a pivotally mounted walking beam connected at one end to the stud 6 and the other end to a sliding member 17. This sliding member constitutes one part of a valve, in this instance it forms the valve seat. Extending through the valve seat is a port or passage 18 which is connected by a flexible tubing 19 with the interior of pneumatic 11. 20 is the other part of the valve which slides on the aforesaid seat. This part 20 of the valve is carried by the end of the bracket 14. When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the valve operates to close the passage through the pipe 19. When, however, the pneumatic 11 has collapsed sufficiently to bring the center line 9-9 of the note sheet into registration with the center line 2-2 of the tracker, the edge of the valve member 20 will uncover the port 18, thus permitting air to flow through the tube 19 into the pneumatic 11 so as to check the further collapse of the same. The correct or centralized position of the note sheet and tracker board and the corresponding position of the controlling parts, is clearly indicated in Fig. 2.

Obviously, I have shown and described my invention only in conventional form appreciating that its construction and particular application may be modified very substantially without departing from the principle availed of and without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. 7

While I have shown my invention as applied directly to the music roll, I wish to have it understood that this is not essential to all cases, but that the same principle of operation could be availed of in other ways.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, tracker means, means for carrying a music roll adjacent thereto, means independent of the note sheet for automatically shifting one of said means to centralize rolls of different lengths and the sheets carried thereby relatively to said tracker means, said shifting means including a pneumatic, an eXhauster therefor, a vent for said pneumatic, and a valve operable by one of the two first mentioned means and independently of the pneumatic to vent said pneumatic and prevent the further collapse thereof when said roll carrying mechanism has been shifted to the desired extent.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, tracker means, means for carrying a music roll adjacent thereto, means for shifting one of said means to centralize a note sheet relatively to said tracker means, said shifting means including a pneumatic, an exhauster therefor, a vent for said pneumatic, and a valve for said vent comprising two movable parts, one moved by said pneumatic and the other moved by one of said two first mentioned means, said valve operating to vent said pneumatic when said parts have been positioned to properly centralize the sheet and tracker.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a pneumatic roll carrying means, tracker means adjacent thereto, apparatus for shifting one of said means to centralize a music roll relatively to said tracker, said means including a pneumatic, an exhauster therefor, connections between said pneumatic and one of the aforesaid parts to positively effect said centralizing action by the movement of said pneumatic, a vent for said pneumatic to prevent the further collapse thereof when the parts have been properly positioned thereby, a valve for said vent comprising two movable parts, one being movable by said pneumatic, the other being movable by the controlled part whereby when said controlled part is properly positioned, the two parts of said valve will serve to open said vent.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a movable support for carrying music rolls, a tracker board, means independent of the note sheet carried by said rolls for centralizing rolls and the note" sheets carried thereby. relatively to said tracker, a pneumatic for moving said music roll support in a direction to centralize the sheet and the tracker, independent means for moving it in an opposite direction, a valve operatively connected with said music roll support and said pneumatic, a duct leading to said pneumatic and controlled by said valve, said valve being movable to vent said pneumatic when the music roll support has been shifted to the sheet centralizing position.

5. In a music roll centralizing apparatus, a longitudinally movable music roll support, a pneumatic with means for operating said pneumatic, mechanical means of connection between said pneumatic and said music roll support to shift the same in a direction to centralize the sheet and tracker, said means being operable independently of said note sheet, a vent for said pneumatic, a valve controlledby the position of said music roll support and operating to vent said pneumatic suificiently to prevent its further collapse when said mii'sic roll support has been shifted to the desired degree.

6. In a music roll centralizing apparatus,

-a longitudinally movable music roll support, a pneumatic with means for operating Said pneumatlc, mechanlcal means of conshifted to the desired degree, said valve comprising two movable parts, one part being movable in one direction by said music 1 roll support and the other part being movable in an opposite direction by said pneumatic.

FRANK 0. WHITE.

O'opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. 7 Washington, D. C. 

